List of Greek football champions explained

Above:Greek League (1st tier)
Subheader1:SEGAS Championship/Panhellenic Championship (1905–1927)
Subheader2:Panhellenic Championship (1927–1959)
Subheader3:Alpha Ethniki/Super League Greece 1 (1959–present)
Headerstyle:font-size: 12px; background: #BFD7FF; text-align:left;
Header1:Country
Header3:Founded
Data4:1905 (SEGAS), 1921 (Greek FCA), 1927 (HFF)
Header5:Number of teams
Data6:14 (since 2019–20)
Header7:Current champions
Data8:PAOK (2023–24)
Header9:Most successful club
Data10:Olympiacos Piraeus (47 championships)
Data11:Current: 2023–24 Super League Greece

The Greek football champions are the winners of Super League Greece, the highest professional football league in Greece. Officially the title has been contested since 1927 - 28, in various forms of competition, officially bearing the Super League name since 2006–07. PAOK are the current title holders, having won in 2023–24.[1]

Efforts to build a region–wide championship were established as early as 1898, when only the Football League First Division in England and the Swiss Serie A in Switzerland had been codified as nationwide, independent league tournaments. After the concept seemed to have faded by the turn of the 20th century, various championships, initially organised by the Hellenic Athletics Federation (known as SEGAS), were held from 1906 to 1912. However, it was put on hold at the start of the First Balkan War. After a 9–year hiatus following World War I and the Greco–Turkish War, it was revived, organised by the Greece Football Clubs Association (FCA), originally containing teams from Athens and Piraeus, beginning from the 1921–22 season.

Despite efforts to host a national final between the Greek FCA champion and the Salonican teams' champion, the FCA collapsed thanks to secret deals that spawned new sports associations, such as Ethnikos Piraeus and Olympiacos. Its collapse led to the creation of two new FCA organisations, Athens Football Clubs Association and its Piraeus and Macedonian counterparts. Afterward, it would run as a nationwide championship until 1927.

In late 1926, the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) was officially formed under the supervision of SEGAS. Controversy ensued when three teams (Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens, collectively known as P.O.K.) withdrew from the nationwide championship, citing disagreements over income distribution to championship teams. As the first championship under the HFF dwindled in income and size, the Federation conceded and the three teams were re–instated in July 1928.

In what was named the Panhellenic Championship, the regional champions formed a national group, from which the national champion was decided, with the title being decided in a final between regional champions until 1934. In this period, the P.O.K., primarily Olympiacos, won all but three championships, and all three teams greatly expanded their influence to become the dominant sides, often coming at odds with the HFF. After a hiatus in the Second World War, with German forces effectively dismantling the HFF and multiple attempts at a return failing, the HFF reorganised and hosted the Panhellenic Championship again from 1945–46 onward. Olympiacos would dominate in the post–war era, winning a record six consecutive championships from 1953 to the Championship's conclusion in 1959.

In the summer of 1959, the regional leagues were unified in a single, round–robin championship, a landmark in the history of Greek football. Since 1959–60, the top league has been formed in its current form, named Alpha Ethniki, with the league becoming professional from the 1979–80 season onward. The Alpha Ethniki name was kept until 2005–06, when Super League Greece was founded, with expansion of distribution deals and no expansion of the league format. The unified league era has been characterised by lengthy, successful dynasties, such as Panathinaikos' initial domination, with 8 titles from 1960 to 1972 and Olympiacos' dynasty from the 1990s onward, with the team winning 22 league titles from 1997 to 2022. AEL is a notable exception, becoming the only club from outside of Athens or Thessaloniki to win a league title, in 1988, under Jacek Gmoch, who had also won a league title with Panathinaikos in 1984.

Only six clubs have become champions since the HFF's inception, with tournaments prior to 1927 being non–recognised. Olympiacos has won the most titles, with forty–seven, the last being in 2022, followed by Panathinaikos with twenty, last won in 2010 and AEK Athens, last won in 2023. Rivals of Thessaloniki have won 7 titles in total. PAOK has won four titles, followed by Aris Thessaloniki with three, last won in 2024 and 1946 respectively, while AEL won their singular league title in 1988. Aris Thessaloniki won the first HFF–sanctioned Panhellenic Championship in 1927–28, while Panathinaikos won the first Alpha Ethniki campaign in 1959–60.[2] AEK Athens, Aris Thessaloniki and AEL have played in all professional tiers of the Greek football league system, while Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK have never been relegated, having partook in every Alpha Ethniki/Super League league season since its inception in 1959.

Performance by club (1927–)

width=110px Clubwidth=100px Champions Winning years
Olympiacos1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022
Panathinaikos1930, 1949, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2010
AEK Athens1939, 1940, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2018, 2023
PAOK41976, 1985, 2019, 2024
Aris Thessalonikialign=center 31928, 1932, 1946
Larissaalign=center 11988
Source: rsssf.org

Champions

The first attempts

(not counted by HFF)

Season!width="310"
Winner
1898Cycling Club of Athens
1899Panellinios G.S.

SEGAS Championship, Greece FCA Championship and EPSE Championship

Season!width="310"
Winner
1905–06Ethnikos Athens
1906–07Ethnikos Athens
1907–08Goudi Athens
1908–09Piraikos Syndesmos
1909–10Goudi Athens
1910–11Podosferikos Omilos Athinon
1911–12Goudi Athens
1912–13Not Held[3]
1913–14Not Held
1914–15Not Held
1915–16Not held
1916–17Not Finished
1917–20Not Held
1920–21Not Held
1921–22Podosferikos Omilos Athinon
1922–23Piraikos Syndesmos (The only panhellenic championship organized by EPSE before the establishment of the HFF)
1923–243 Champions (Apollonas Athens, APS Piraeus, Aris AS Thessaloniki)
1924–252 Champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, no tournament Thessaloniki)
1925–263 Champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, Aris Thessaloniki)
1926–273 Champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, Iraklis Thessaloniki)

HFF Panhellenic Championship

width=75px Season [4] width=150px Winner (number of titles)width=150px Runner-up
1927–28Aris (1)Ethnikos Piraeus
1928–29Not Held
1929–30Panathinaikos (1)Aris
1930–31Olympiacos (1)Panathinaikos
1931–32Aris (2)Panathinaikos
1932–33Olympiacos (2)Aris
1933–34Olympiacos (3)Iraklis
1934–35Not Finished
1935–36Olympiacos (4)Panathinaikos
1936–37Olympiacos (5)PAOK
1937–38Olympiacos (6)Apollon Athens
1938–39AEK Athens (1)Iraklis
1939–40AEK Athens (2)PAOK
1940–41Not Finished due to World War II
1941–42Not Held due to World War II
1942–43Not Finished due to World War II
1943–44Not Held due to World War II
1944–45Not Held due to World War II
1945–46Aris (3)AEK Athens
1946–47Olympiacos (7)Iraklis
1947–48Olympiacos (8)Apollon Athens
1948–49Panathinaikos (2)Olympiacos
1949–50Not Held
1950–51Olympiacos (9)Panionios
1951–52Not Held
1952–53Panathinaikos (3)Olympiacos
1953–54Olympiacos (10)Panathinaikos
1954–55Olympiacos (11)Panathinaikos
1955–56Olympiacos (12)Ethnikos Piraeus
1956–57Olympiacos (13)Panathinaikos
1957–58Olympiacos (14)AEK Athens
1958–59Olympiacos (15)AEK Athens

Alpha Ethniki

width=75px Season width=150px Winner (number of titles)width=150px Runner-upwidth=150px Third placewidth=570px Top Scorer (team) (Goals) [Goal Average]
1959–60Panathinaikos (4)AEK AthensOlympiacos (AEK Athens) (30) [1.13]
1960–61Panathinaikos (5)OlympiacosPanionios (AEK Athens) (27) [0.90]
1961–62Panathinaikos (6)OlympiacosApollon Athens (AEK Athens) (29) [0.96]
1962–63AEK Athens (3)PanathinaikosOlympiacos (AEK Athens) (23) [0.77]
1963–64Panathinaikos (7)OlympiacosAEK Athens (AEK Athens) (29) [0.96]
1964–65Panathinaikos (8)AEK AthensOlympiacos (Olympiacos) (29) [0.96]
1965–66Olympiacos (16)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (AEK Athens) (23) [0.79]
1966–67Olympiacos (17)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (Olympiacos) (24) [0.80]
1967–68AEK Athens (4)OlympiacosPanathinaikos Thanasis Intzoglou (Panionios) (24) [0.70]
1968–69Panathinaikos (9)OlympiacosAris (Olympiacos) (35) [1.03]
1969–70Panathinaikos (10)AEK AthensOlympiacos (Panathinaikos) (25) [0.74]
1970–71AEK Athens (5)PanioniosPanathinaikos (Panionios) (28) [0.82]
1971–72Panathinaikos (11)OlympiacosAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (39) [1.14]
1972–73Olympiacos (18)PAOKPanathinaikos (Panathinaikos) (22) [0.64]
1973–74Olympiacos (19)PanathinaikosAris (Panathinaikos) (26) [0.76]
1974–75Olympiacos (20)AEK AthensPAOK (Panathinaikos), Roberto Calcadera (Ethnikos Piraeus) (20) [0.58]
1975–76PAOK (1)AEK AthensOlympiacos (AEK Athens) (15) [0.50]
1976–77Panathinaikos (12)OlympiacosPAOK Thanasis Intzoglou (Ethnikos Piraeus), Dimitris Papadopoulos (OFI) (22) [0.64]
1977–78AEK Athens (6)PAOKPanathinaikos (AEK Athens) (22) [0.64]
1978–79AEK Athens (7)OlympiacosAris (AEK Athens) (31) [0.91]

Alpha Ethniki - Professional league

width=75px Season width=150px Winner (number of titles)width=150px Runner-upwidth=150px Third placewidth=570px Top Scorer (team) (Goals) [Goal Average]
1979–80Olympiacos (21)ArisPanathinaikos (AEK Athens) (25) [0.73]
1980–81Olympiacos (22)AEK AthensAris (Aris) (21) [0.61]
1981–82Olympiacos (23)PanathinaikosPAOK Grigoris Charalampidis (Panathinaikos) (21) [0.61]
1982–83Olympiacos (24)LarissaAEK Athens (Olympiacos) (29) [0.93]
1983–84Panathinaikos (13)OlympiacosIraklis (Olympiacos) (18) [0.60]
1984–85PAOK (2)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (AEK Athens) (27) [0.90]
1985–86Panathinaikos (14)OFIAEK Athens (Olympiacos) (19) [0.63]
1986–87Olympiacos (25)PanathinaikosOFI (Olympiacos) (16) [0.53]
1987–88Larissa (1)AEK AthensPAOK Henrik Nielsen (AEK Athens) (20) [0.66]
1988–89AEK Athens (8)OlympiacosPanathinaikos (Olympiakos Volos) (20) [0.66]
1989–90Panathinaikos (15)AEK AthensPAOK (Panionios) (22) [0.64]
1990–91Panathinaikos (16)OlympiacosAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (23) [0.67]
1991–92AEK Athens (9)OlympiacosPanathinaikos (AEK Athens) (28) [0.82]
1992–93AEK Athens (10)PanathinaikosOlympiacos (AEK Athens) (33) [0.97]
1993–94AEK Athens (11)PanathinaikosOlympiacos (AEK Athens), (Panathinaikos) (24) [0.70]
1994–95Panathinaikos (17)OlympiacosPAOK (Panathinaikos) (29) [0.85]
1995–96Panathinaikos (18)AEK AthensOlympiacos (AEK Athens) (26) [0.76]
1996–97Olympiacos (26)AEK AthensOFI (Olympiacos) (23) [0.67]
1997–98Olympiacos (27)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (32) [0.94]
1998–99Olympiacos (28)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (AEK Athens) (22) [0.64]
1999–00Olympiacos (29)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Panionios, PAOK) (24) [0.71]
2000–01Olympiacos (30)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Olympiacos) (19) [0.63]
2001–02Olympiacos (31)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (Olympiacos) (19) [0.73]
2002–03Olympiacos (32)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (16) [0.53]
2003–04Panathinaikos (19)OlympiacosPAOK (Olympiacos) (21) [0.70]
2004–05Olympiacos (33)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (18) [0.60]
2005–06Olympiacos (34)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (PAOK) (17) [0.57]

Super League Greece

width=75px Season width=150px Winner (number of titles)width=150px Runner-upwidth=150px Third placewidth=570px Top Scorer (team) (Goals) [Goal Average]
2006–07Olympiacos (35)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (AEK Athens) (18) [0.60]
2007–08Olympiacos (36)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (AEK Athens) (19) [0.63]
2008–09Olympiacos (37)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (AEK Athens) (14) [0.47], (Olympiacos)
2009–10Panathinaikos (20)PAOKAEK Athens (Panathinaikos) (23) [0.77]
2010–11Olympiacos (38)PanathinaikosPAOK (Panathinaikos) (20) [0.67]
2011–12Olympiacos (39)PanathinaikosAEK Athens (Olympiacos) (22) [0.73]
2012–13Olympiacos (40)PAOKAtromitos (Olympiacos) (20) [0.67]
2013–14Olympiacos (41)PanathinaikosPAOK (Skoda Xanthi) (16) [0.52]
2014–15Olympiacos (42)PanathinaikosAsteras Tripolis (Asteras Tripoli) (17) [0.63]
2015–16Olympiacos (43)PAOKPanathinaikos (Olympiacos) (18) [0.64]
2016–17Olympiacos (44)AEK AthensPanathinaikos (Panathinaikos) (22)
2017–18AEK Athens (12)PAOKOlympiacos (PAOK) (19)
2018–19PAOK (3)OlympiacosAEK Athens (Atromitos) (19)
2019–20Olympiacos (45)PAOKAEK Athens (Olympiacos) (20)
2020–21Olympiacos (46)PAOKAris (Olympiacos) (22)
2021–22Olympiacos (47)PAOKAris (Volos) (17)
2022–23AEK Athens (13)PanathinaikosOlympiacos (Olympiacos) (18)
2023–24PAOK (4)AEK AthensOlympiacos Loren Morón (Aris) (20)

Top three ranking

Ranking by top three finishes in the top division of national football since 1959 - 60.

Club1st2nd3rd
Olympiacos32159
Panathinaikos171914
AEK Athens111618
PAOK499
AEL11
Aris17
OFI12
Panionios11
Apollon Athens1
Asteras Tripolis1
Atromitos1
Iraklis1

Ranking by top three finishes in the top division of national football since 1927–28.

Club1st2nd3rdTop 3 overall
Olympiacos4721876
Panathinaikos20251661
AEK Athens13191950
PAOK4111126
Aris341017
AEL112
Iraklis325
Apollon Athens257
Panionios235
Ethnikos22
OFI123
Atromitos22
Asteras Tripolis11

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of Greek champions. Hellenic Football Federation. el. 16 April 2012.
  2. Web site: Η 'χρυσή βίβλος' των πρωταθλητών Ελλάδας.
  3. Not Heldwww.rsssf.com/tablesg/grkprehist.html#07
  4. Web site: Greece – List of Champions . .